Hufflepuffs and Roses
by Artbooksandstuff
Summary: Albus and Scorpius is starting their fifth year at Hogwarts. Scorpius is still crushing on Rose, but Albus doesn't seem to like it.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter one: Arrival at Hogwarts and first day of classes**

 **Albus' Point of view**

When Albus woke up, he could hear the sound of voices coming from the kitchen. It was September first, and Albus and his siblings were taking the train to Hogwarts. He had been looking forward to going back ever since the start of summer. He couldn't wait to see his best friend, Scorpius again. Scorpius and Albus had been writing to each other every week, but they hadn't seen each other in two months.

Albus got out of bed, and got dressed. He checked that he had packed everything, before going downstairs for breakfast. While walking down the stairs he could hear his older brother James boasting about being head boy. James was in his seventh year at Hogwarts, and had received his Head boy badge with his letter that summer. He hadn't spoken about anything else the last month. Albus and James' parents had been delighted when James became Head boy, but not so much about the boasting. They thought James talking about it all the time, would make it even clearer that Albus hadn't been chosen as a prefect. Albus thought it was just fine. He had never expected to be prefect, anyways. Scorpius, on the other hand, had written to Albus telling him about being a prefect. This didn't come as a surprise to Albus. Scorpius was one of the best wizards in their year.

Albus walked into the kitchen and sat down by the table next to his sister, Lily. Albus' father, Harry sat down on his left. "Morning Albus" he said, and smiled. Albus had never been on particularly good terms with his father. Their relationship had improved somewhat after the events of last year, but it wasn't perfect. "Morning" Albus muttered.

The rest of their breakfast was quiet, since everyone had to scuffle their food down so they wouldn't be late for the train. After breakfast, they drove to Kings Cross.

Albus was hurrying towards platform nine and ten with his family. It was ten to eleven, so they only had ten minutes until the Hogwarts Express left platform 9 ¾ . They reached the wall between platforms 9 and 10, and walked through it. Their parents helped Albus and his siblings with getting their baggage on board. They said goodbye, and the train left the station.

Albus found an empty compartment, and put his trunk on the luggage shelves. He knew he had to wait for Scorpius for a while since he was in the prefects' carriage. After about half an hour Scorpius came into the compartment. "Hey Albus" Scorpius said, with a smile. "Hi" Albus said. Scorpius sat down in front of him. "How was your summer?" He asked. "Good, but kind of boring. You?" Scorpius' face lit up as he started telling Albus about his summer. "Dad and I went to Germany for two weeks. It was really nice. Did you do anything interesting?" "No, not really. James has been boasting about making Head boy, but the rest is pretty dull." They kept talking about James and Albus' other relatives, especially his cousin, Rose.

A few minutes later, there was a knock on the compartment door. It was a girl. She had long, curly red hair. Her green eyes shone behind a pair of glasses. "Hi. Sorry. Can I sit here? Everywhere else is full," she said. "Yeah, sure. Albus this is Ellie. She's the Hufflepuff prefect. Ellie, this is Albus," Scorpius said. "Hello Albus," Ellie said. She put her trunk and an owl cage on the luggage shelves, and sat down. Albus, Ellie and Scorpius spent the rest of the train ride talking about their summer, and getting to know each other better.

As Albus and Scorpius walked towards the Slytherin table, Ellie left them to sit at the Hufflepuff table. When they sat down, the people next to them suddenly switched conversation topics. Apparently, the rumours about Scorpius being Voldemort's son hadn't died down. Both Albus and Scorpius ignored it. They were used to people whispering about them behind their backs by now. At the staff table, Professor McGonagall had just risen from her chair. Silence fell over the great hall. The doors to the hall opened, and the first years came in. Mr Filch put out the tree legged stool, and the sorting hat. As the first years gathered in front of the staff table, the hat sung its song. The sorting went by fast, and soon professor McGonagall had gone back to her chair. "I have a few words for you before the feast. As usual, first years should know that the dark forest is off limits to students, and that magic in the halls is not allowed. We also have a new member of staff. Professor Alyn will be teaching potions. Now. Let the feast begin!" she said, and the tables filled with food.

Albus and Scorpius dug in. They hadn't eaten in around three hours, so they were very hungry. After eating, they walked down to the dungeons. They were some of the first people to reach the common room. Scorpius said the password, and they entered. Both Albus and Scorpius were tired, so they went straight to their dormitory. Albus changed into his pyjamas and said goodnight.

The next day, Albus and Scorpius met Ellie in the entrance hall on the way to breakfast. She had put her long hair in a braid that went over her left shoulder. She smiled at them. "Hi," she said. "Hi. How are you?" said Albus. "Good. You?" she asked. "We're alright," Scorpius said. "Well, see you later then," Ellie said and walked off towards the Hufflepuff table.

Albus and Scorpius sat down by the Slytherin table while professor Alyn passed out their schedules. Albus looked down at his. "Huh. That's strange." He said. "What?" Scorpius asked. "We've got all our classes with Hufflepuff this year." "Why is that strange?" Scorpius said, pouring apple juice in his goblet. "It's just that we've never had any classes with Hufflepuff before," said Albus, "We've always had them with Gryffindor or Ravenclaw." "I know. Maybe they're trying to change it up a little." "Yeah. Maybe," Albus mumbled. They finished eating breakfast, and headed for charms.

When they arrived in Professor Lee's classroom, they saw Ellie sitting in the middle row. She waved at them, and gestured for them to come closer. "I saved you seats!" she said, excitedly. They sat down next to her, as Professor Lee started speaking. "Today we'll be going over the summoning charm again. Just so I'm sure that everyone knows it for their O.W.L.s." Albus sank down in his chair. He had almost forgotten about his O.W.L.s. He sighed, sat up a bit, and took out his wand. Next to him, Ellie had also taken out her wand. It was very long and thin. Ellie straightened her glasses and smiled at him.

After class Albus, Ellie and Scorpius gathered outside the classroom. "What have you got next?" Ellie asked. Albus looked at his schedule. "I have a free period, and then History of Magic. You?" he said. "I've got Ancient Runes," Scorpius answered. "Me too," said Ellie, while pushing her glasses upward on her nose. _So I've got a whole hour alone._ Albus thought. "Well, we'll see you in History of Magic, then Albus," Scorpius said, and hugged him. Albus looked at him, confused. "I've decided that we're hugging people," he said, and smiled. Albus could feel his ears turn warm. "We have to go, Scorpius. We're going to be late," Ellie said. She looked at Albus apologetically, and started dragging Scorpius toward Ancient Runes.

Albus was sitting on a bench outside the History of Magic classroom, waiting for Scorpius and Ellie. He was looking down at his feet and smiling. _I've decided that we're hugging people_ , Scorpius had said. Albus had gotten this kind of giddy feeling. He didn't know why, but he was just very happy. Albus looked at the clock. It was two minutes until class started. He saw Ellie and Scorpius coming down the corridor, walking towards him. "Hi Albus," Scorpius said when they reached him, and smiled. It was one of those big smiles. They always made Albus feel as if the world was just him and Scorpius. Scorpius hugged him again. Albus' stomach jumped a little. He brushed it off. He was probably just nervous, since it was the first day. Scorpius let go of Albus slowly. He was still smiling. Albus beamed back. "How was Ancient Runes?" Albus asked. "It was OK. We've got loads of homework, though," said Ellie. "Yeah. And we've already got that essay on summoning charms," Scorpius complained. He did have a point. They had never had this much homework on the first day, and they would probably have more by the end of it.

Albus, Ellie and Scorpius entered the classroom, and sat down in the back row. The students around them were chatting eagerly. As Professor Binns had yet to arrive, the three continued their conversation from before. "You nervous about your O.W.L.s, Albus?" Ellie asked. Albus nodded. He knew that he was one of the worst students in their year. He could barely do a disarming spell. He was probably as close to a squib as a wizard could be. He would never be able to pass his O.W.L.s. "Don't worry about it, Albus. You'll get the summoning charm eventually," Scorpius said, putting his hand on Albus' shoulder. Albus sighed. He was glad to have a friend who had so much hope in him, but he really couldn't believe Scorpius. Albus looked at Scorpius, and smiled slightly. "Thanks Scorpius," he muttered.

When Professor Binns started the lesson, Albus had tried his best to stay awake. After about ten minutes, he drifted into a – for once – dreamless sleep.

Albus woke up to Ellie shaking him. "Hmm?" he said. She let go of him, and smiled. "Class is over. We're going down for lunch. You coming?" she said. Albus grabbed his things, and followed Ellie and Scorpius. "Scorpius?" he asked. Scorpius stopped, and turned around. "Yeah?" he said. "Could I look at your notes later?" Scorpius looked at the ground, and rubbed his neck. "Um… I fell asleep too. Sorry," he said, smiling awkwardly. Albus smiled back. "It's okay," he said.

They entered the great hall. Albus and Scorpius headed towards the Slytherin table, and to their surprise, Ellie followed them. "What are you doing?" Albus whispered to her. "If someone yells at me, I'll move," she whispered back. They sat down by the middle of the table. The conversations around them died down. People were staring at them. "Don't you have anything else to do than sit around gaping like fish?" Ellie said, glaring at them. Everyone turned back to their friends, and started talking again. Scorpius chuckled quietly. "That was a good one!" he said. Ellie looked down. It looked as if she was trying to hold back a smile.

Before they could start eating, however, Rose Granger-Weasley interrupted them. Scorpius beamed at her. "Hi," she said, nervously. She was clutching a book in front of her chest. Scorpius kept beaming at her, not saying a word. "What do you want Rose?" Albus asked. Rose and her family hadn't visited all summer. She hadn't written to either him or Scorpius. _She is probably here to try to make amends_ Albus thought. He saw Rose take a deep breath. "I wanted to apologise. I was ignorant and judgemental. Especially about you, Scorpius," she said, all in one breath. Scorpius smiled at her. "It's okay, Rose," he said, "I forgive you." Rose breathed out, relieved. "Thank you," she said, and smiled. Rose turned around and started walking towards the Gryffindor table, but then she stopped. She turned, and came back. "About that date," she said, "I would like to give it a try." Then she went and sat down with her Gryffindor friends. Scorpius turned to Albus. He was smiling brightly. "Did you hear that?" he said, excitedly. Albus nodded. He looked down at his plate. For some reason, he suddenly didn't feel like eating. "Rose Granger-Weasley wants to go on a date! With me!" said Scorpius. "Yeah. That's good Scorpius," he said, quietly. "So, Albus?" Ellie said suddenly. It was as if she could sense that Albus would rather talk about something else. "Yeah?" Albus said. "Since you're so nervous about your O.W.L.s, I thought that, maybe Scorpius and I could tutor you!" she said. "Okay?" said Albus, doubtfully. "Good. Can I meet you two at quarter past six in the corridor at the seventh floor? The one with the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy?" she asked, eagerly. Both Albus and Scorpius nodded. "Good," Ellie said again, and moved her attention against her food.

The three friends continued their lunch in a comfortable silence. Albus didn't eat much, but he managed to shove down a few pieces of toast. After lunch, he followed Scorpius and Ellie to Defence Against the Dark Arts, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in his stomach.

Albus, Ellie, and Scorpius were sitting next to each other again. Professor Suzuki had started on the speech that the students had heard two or three times that day. The one about how important their O.W.L.s were, and what grade they would need to continue the class on N.E.W.T.s level. "You will need at least an Exceeds Expectation on your O.W.L.s to be able to take this class next year," Suzuki said. Albus didn't have much hope for this O.W.L either. The only O.W.L he could dream of passing was Care of Magical Creatures. Even there, he couldn't expect more than an Acceptable.

Professor Suzuki had told them to go in pairs to practice defensive spells, and the like. Albus ended up with Ellie, and Scorpius was paired with another Hufflepuff girl. Albus would rather be with Scorpius. Professor Suzuki always separated them when they had practical lessons. Albus thought it was unfair. Almost everyone else got to practice with their friends. Not that there was anything wrong with Ellie, but she just wasn't Scorpius.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 After dinner**

 **Scorpius' POV**

Scorpius spent the hour of free time before dinner trying to do his Ancient runes homework. But he couldn't concentrate. He was thinking about Rose. He still couldn't believe it. He'd had a crush on Rose since the first time he met her. He had always wanted to get to know her better, and was so happy that he finally had the chance to. Albus didn't seem happy about it. Scorpius could see that it might be awkward for Albus, his best friend going out with his cousin. But Albus had to know Scorpius would never do that. Maybe he should ask Albus about it later.

Scorpius saw that it was almost time for dinner, and started packing his stuff together. He felt someone touch his shoulder, and turned around. It was Rose. Scorpius smiled at her. She seemed nervous. "About that date," Rose said. "Yeah?" "Is next week fine?" she asked. She was fidgeting with the edge of her robes. Scorpius nodded, his smile growing. "Yeah, next week is fine." Rose smiled at him, and walked away.

Scorpius went to the dormitories to drop of his school bag before going to dinner. When he arrived at the great hall, Albus was already there. Scorpius didn't know if he should tell Albus about what happened in the library. He didn't want the coldness he had felt from Albus all day. He didn't want to ruin their friendship because of Rose. He hoped Albus would warm up to the idea soon.

He sat down next to Albus, and poked him in the arm to get his attention. Albus looked up, and smiled at him. "Hi" Scorpius said. "How did studying go?" Albus asked. "Not too good." "Oh?" "Yeah. I've just been thinking about this date with Rose," Scorpius said, looking up at the enchanted ceiling. "When is the date?" asked Albus. Scorpius noticed a slight edge in his voice. Albus really wasn't happy about him going out with Rose. "Sometime next week," he said, and sighed. This really was like a dream come true. "Okay," said Albus.

They spent the rest of their meal in silence. After eating they walked up to the seventh floor, as they had promised. Ellie was already there, pacing back and forth, mumbling. She stopped when she saw them, and smiled. A door slowly appeared behind her. "The room of requirement," Scorpius said. He had heard of it, of course, but he thought it had been destroyed during the battle of Hogwarts.

They went inside. The room was big, with cushions spread all over the room. Ellie started helping Albus with summoning charms, leaving Scorpius to his thoughts. He wondered where he should take Rose. They couldn't go to Hogsmeade since the next weekend wasn't a Hogsmeade weekend. Maybe they could have a picnic on the grounds. By the lake. He should probably ask Albus if Rose would enjoy that. She was his cousin after all. Albus had to know what she enjoyed doing.

"See! You're not hopeless!" Ellie said to Albus. They had been at it for a few hours, and Albus had finally managed to summon at cushion from the other side of the room. Ellie was good at explaining things to Albus. She seemed to understand his way of thinking, and didn't lose her patience. A lot of the teachers did. Albus seemed more confident in his magic now that he knew he could learn it. Seeing him like this, made Scorpius happy. Albus had never been good at spells, and Scorpius was glad Albus' insecurities had become a bit smaller.

Albus beamed at him all the way back to their common room. When they sat on their beds, talking, Scorpius decided to bring up the topic of Rose. "Albus," he said. "Hm?" "Do you think Rose would like it if I took her on a picnic by the lake?" "How should I know?" Albus said, sharply. Scorpius gave him a confused look. Albus crossed his arms over his chest. "It's not like I actually talk to her unless I have to!" Scorpius looked down. He hadn't meant to make Albus upset. Albus sighed. "Sorry. I'm sure she'd love to go on a picnic with you," he said. Scorpius smiled at him.

They went to bed that night without talking much. Scorpius lay awake for a long time thinking about Rose, before finally falling asleep.

 **Authors note: Sorry this chapter is a bit short.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hufflepuffs and Roses chapter three: The date**

 **Scorpius' POV**

A week later Scorpius was frantically preparing for his date with Rose. He wanted everything to be perfect. He was going to take her on a picnic on Saturday. He had asked Albus what kind of food she liked. The only thing Albus knew was that she didn't like fish. Scorpius didn't like fish either, and was over the moon. He and Rose finally had something in common, but they were not going to bond over fish. He had made a list of questions in case conversation was short, but he doubted he was going to need it. If it came to it, he and Rose could talk about Ancient Runes or something.

Albus got more and more grumpy every time Scorpius brought up his date with Rose. He supposed him talking about Rose all the time could get a bit annoying, but still. Shouldn't Albus be happy for him? Was something wrong? Maybe something had happened between Albus and his dad. That would be bad. They had just started getting along again too. But Scorpius was sure Albus would talk to him if he wanted to, so he didn't push it.

The last few days of the week flew by. It was Friday, and Scorpius was getting more excited by the minute. Rose didn't look as excited as him, but he was sure she was. He had smiled at her whenever he saw her in the hallways all week. He talked with the house elves in the kitchen, and had ordered the food on Thursday. He was going to pick it up the next morning. It was just some sandwiches, so he really hoped the rest of the date would be a tad bit more special. Maybe he and Rose could talk all day.

"Scorpius?"

Scorpius looked up from his homework. It was Albus. He looked a bit nervous.

"How is the date-planning going?" he asked.

He sat down on the chair next to Scorpius.

"Good," Scorpius answered.

"Sorry I've been so distant lately," Albus said.

He was biting his lip and looking at the floor.

"It's okay. I get it. I mean she's your cousin. It's got to be awkward," Scorpius said, smiling at Albus.

"Yeah," Albus said, "Right".

Scorpius didn't think Albus looked like he meant it. He didn't ask. He didn't want to fight with Albus ever again.

Scorpius woke early on Saturday morning. He and Rose had decided to meet by the lake at ten. Scorpius got out of bed, trying not wake anyone. He was planning to take a shower before the date. He had decided to put on muggle clothes, as he wanted this to be different from their meetings in the hallways. Scorpius stood in front of the mirror for a bit, making sure he looked okay, before heading to the kitchens.

After picking up the food, Scorpius walked towards the lake. Rose was already there, red hair flowing in the slight breeze. Scorpius saw that she was wearing a dress, something that made him feel a bit underdressed. He stopped for a little while, taking a deep breath before walking up to Rose.

"Hi," he said.

Rose turned and smiled at him.

"Hello, Scorpius," she said, "Where are we going to sit?"

"Well, I was thinking we could sit in the shadow of that tree over there," Scorpius said, pointing in the direction of a huge tree, only a few feet away from the water.

Rose chuckled.

"Nice location," she said, and started walking towards the tree.

"Yeah," Scorpius mumbled, blushing a bit.

He followed her to the tree, admiring the way her hair caught the sunlight. When they reached the tree, he pulled out a blanket from the basket with the food. Rose smiled at him and helped him put it smoothly on the ground. They sat down, the food between them.

"So- "they said at the same time.

Scorpius looked down, fiddling with his fingers.

"How- emh- How are your classes going?" he tried.

"They're going fine. I mean, the only one I'm having trouble with is History of Magic. I keep wondering how it's possible to make a usually interesting subject so boring," Rose answered, the last part bringing a short laugh from Scorpius.

"Yeah," he said.

After that, their conversation got a little less awkward. They talked about their favourite subjects and their ever-growing piles of homework. Rose suggested they have a study-date, but Scorpius said no since he'd already promised to help out Albus. Rose told Scorpius al about her Gryffindor friends. In return, Scorpius told her about Ellie and her unusual enthusiasm for History of Magic. Rose laughed at this.

"Maybe I should ask her if I could take a look at her notes".

When it was nearly lunch time, they decided to end the date. They entered the great hall along with the rest of the students, going to their separate tables.

"How was your date?" Ellie asked as Scorpius sat down.

She had been sitting at their table for the last week, saying that: "It isn't a rule or anything," and, "It's not like I have any real friends in Hufflepuff either. So why not?".

"It was nice. Where's Albus?" Scorpius answered, taking a sip from his pumpkin juice.

"Catching up on homework. Did it go the way you wanted it to?" Ellie said, taking a bite of her sandwich.

"Yeah, I guess. It was a bit awkward at first, but we eventually found things to talk about," he answered, a bit absentmindedly.

Ellie smiled.

"Yeah? You going to ask her out again? Or…?"

Scorpius nodded.

"The weekend after next is our first Hogsmeade weekend, right? I thought I could take her to The Three Broomsticks, or something?"

"Fancy…" Ellie mumbled.

"Sounds great! I have some homework to do myself, so I need to go. Good luck!" she said, grabbing a sandwich as she went.

Scorpius waved at her, smiling.

Scorpius waited for Albus to arrive late for lunch, but he didn't come. Scorpius decided he should do some homework as well and headed for the common room.

 **I'm going to try to get up a chapter every two weeks from now on.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hufflepuffs and Roses chapter 4 four: Realization**

 **Albus' POV**

It wasn't that Albus wasn't happy for Scorpius. He was. It was just that he also kind of wasn't. He was sad that Scorpius wouldn't be spending as much time with him anymore. He was afraid Scorpius would leave him behind. He was also afraid of Rose hurting Scorpius, or the other way around.

Albus didn't talk to Scorpius the entire weekend. Not because he didn't want to, but he needed to catch up with his school work. James had complained about how stressful hi fifth year was, but Albus hadn't imagined it would be this bad. He was worried and stressed. Albus was doing well in Care of Magical Creatures, but his other subjects weren't going so well. Scorpius and Ellie had promised they'd help him with the practical things. Ellie had suggested to start having weekly study sessions in The Room of Requirement. Albus thought this would help him a lot but catching up when he was already so far behind would be tough.

Albus arrived early for breakfast on Monday. Ellie was already sitting at the Slytherin table, munching on a sandwich. She waved at him, trying to smile through her chewing. Albus sat down beside her.

" Morning," Albus mumbled.

"Good morning, handsome sir!" Ellie said, mocking a curtsy.

Albus laughed.

"Anyways. Do you want to do the weekly session thing today?"

"I don't know. We'll do it if it's okay with Scorpius."

"Yeah. Sounds like a plan."

"Has he been down for breakfast yet? He wasn't in the dorm when I woke up," Albus asked.

"No…," Ellie said, "Try the library. Maybe he's checking up on something."

"Yeah, maybe. I think I'll eat breakfast first, though," he said, "What are we studying?"

"I was thinking we could practise the defensive spells we learned on Friday. And if we have the time, maybe you guys could have a look at my History of Magic notes. Since you always fall asleep."

"Yeah. Sounds good."

Ellie smiled. She ate the rest of her sandwich and stood up.

"Well, see you in Care of Magical Creatures! We're learning about Thestrals!" she said and waved.

"See you!"

Albus found Scorpius in the library. He sat by a table between two shelves with his nose buried in "A History of Magic".

"You know you can ask Ellie about this, right?"

Scorpius jumped a little in his chair. He relaxed when he saw Albus.

"Oh. It's just you," he said, "I know. But I want to try and figure it out myself first."

Albus sat down next to Scorpius.

"Um," he said, "Ellie was wondering if it was okay to do the study thing tonight? She was thinking about going over the defensive spells for Defence Against the Dark Arts."

"Yeah that's okay. After dinner, then? Same as last time?" Scorpius asked.

"Yeah," Albus said, "We should head to Care of Magical Creatures, though. I don't want to be late."

"Yeah, probably," Scorpius said, pushing his chair away from the table.

As Scorpius stood up and gathered his books, his hand brushed against Albus'. Albus' breath caught for a moment. His heart fluttered. He shook his head and smiled at Scorpius before standing up.

"Let's go."

Albus and Scorpius walked towards Hagrid's hut. Albus was exited to learn about Thestrals, but he thought it was a bit ambitious for the first lesson of the year. He was also slightly nervous. James had tried to scare him by telling him to watch out for them before he started his first year. He had also been startled when he saw them for the first time on the way to the train at the end of last year. He had to admit their looks were a bit scary.

He wondered what other creatures they were going to learn about this year. James had learned about unicorns and nifflers in his fifth year. Albus was also interested in hippogriffs. His father had learned about them in his third year, but Albus and his classmates hadn't had the chance yet.

When they got to Hagrid's hut, the rest of the Slytherins and Hufflepuffs were already there. They stood in a cluster with Ellie, a bit away from the other students.

"So, studying today okay?" Ellie said, looking at Scorpius.

"Yeah," Scorpius said, "when after dinner are we meeting?"

"Is 7 o'clock okay?"

"Yeah," both Albus and Scorpius said.

Just then, Hagrid appeared from behind his hut with a dead cow over his shoulder. He gestured for the students to follow him and headed for the forbidden forest. Most of the students followed him gladly, but some walked behind the others, reluctantly.

Hagrid stopped about ten minutes into the forest. The trees around them stood so close together it was almost as dark as at night-time. He said the thestrals would come when they smelled the cow, but he was going to call for them anyways.

The call was a terrifying shriek that froze Albus to his bones. He could hear Scorpius gulp beside him, and saw Ellie clench her fists. When Hagrid was about to call for the fourth time, Albus could hear something walking towards them. Moments later he could see the white, shining eyes coming closer. It was a big, black, winged horse, with little meat on its bones. The thestral walked up to the dead cow and started to eat it. He heard a low sigh from Ellie on his left.

"What is it?" he whispered.

Ellie kept her voice low.

"I kind of expected this, but actually seeing it is…well…," she said, her face clearly showing her discomfort.

"Yeah" Albus answered.

He didn't really want to tell her he could see it yet. They'd only known each other for a week, after all.

The rest of the day they continued to go to their classes. Albus was looking forward to their study session after dinner. He hoped it would work and get him through his O.W.L.s with at least passing grades.

At around 6.45, Albus and Scorpius left their common room and headed for The Room of Requirement. Ellie was waiting for them. They went inside.

The room was a bit different this time. It was a huge space with a tiled floor. They would have plenty of space to practise spells. Pushed into a corner, there was a table and some chairs. Parchment, quills and ink had already been laid out for them.

"So, let's get started," Ellie said, "I'll aim _Expelliarmus_ at you, and you try to dispel it by using _Protego_. Okay, Albus? You can try again with Scorpius afterwards."

"Okay," Albus said.

They continued practising _Protego_ , but Albus just couldn't get it right.

"Don't worry, Albus. We still have two more weeks on defensive spells," Ellie said.

They sat down by the table in the corner and started copying Ellie notes. They really helped. Albus felt like he finally had a bit of a grasp on History of Magic now.

One and a half week passed. Scorpius had asked Rose out on another date. They were going to The Three Broomsticks the next weekend. Albus had felt kind of down since Scorpius told him. He didn't know why. Maybe because Scorpius seemed to have a better relationship with his cousin than he did.

Albus sat down next to Ellie in Divination. She smiled at him. He smiled back. It didn't reach his eyes, and he knew she would notice it.

"Something's been bothering you, lately," she said.

Albus opened his mouth but closed it again.

"It's fine if you don't want to talk about it," Ellie said, "I just thought you might."

Albus looked down and nodded.

"I'll think about it."

After dinner, Albus decided to stay behind so he could talk to Ellie.

"Aren't you coming?" Scorpius asked when Albus didn't rise from the table.

"Yeah, I just need to ask Ellie about something," Albus said, "Just go ahead."

Albus watched Scorpius walking away for a little while, his light hair easily found in the crowd.

Albus found Ellie and tapped her shoulder to ger her attention. She turned around.

"Hm?" she said.

"You were right. Something has been bothering me," he said, "… Um, could we talk somewhere with less people?"

"Oh. Yeah, sure."

Ellie stood up and grabbed Albus' arm.

"Come on!"

She dragged him gently through the crowd exiting the great hall towards the stairs. They took a route through some less crowded hallways until they reached The Room of Requirement.

"Do you use this room for everything?" Albus asked.

Ellie laughed.

"It is called The Room of Requirement, after all."

Albus watched as Ellie walked back and forward in front of the wall. The door appeared, and they entered the room.

The small room had a window toward the castle ground and Hagrid's hut. There were two chairs in the room. They were turned so they faced the window.

Albus and Ellie sat down in a chair each. Ellie crossed her legs. Albus leaned into the back of the chair a bit. It was soft, and comfortable.

"What is it that's been bothering you?" Ellie asked.

Albus looked down. He crossed his right leg under his left.

"It's just…" he started, "I…when Scorpius talks about Rose… and the date, I… I get this feeling…My stomach kind of drops, and… I don't know."

"Hmm…" Ellie said.

"Um… I mean," Albus started again, "I should be happy for him, right? And for Rose!"

Ellie was quiet for a while.

"I think that it's completely normal to feel jealous when a friend starts hanging out with someone else. Especially if you don't have that many. Are you unsure if they like each other?"

Albus looked out the window.

"Scorpius has had a crush on Rose for years now, but… I guess I am a bit unsure about Rose…"

They sat in silence for a while, looking out at the grounds and the stars. Ellie had dragged her legs to her chest, leaning her head on her knees. She seemed to be thinking hard about something. Her eyebrows were scrunched together. Suddenly, she lifted her head.

"What if we go to The Three Broomsticks this weekend too?" she said, "We can see how they interact, and no one would think it was weird if we were there."

"Are you sure that's okay? I don't know how I feel about spying on them." Albus said.

"It'll be fine. And if you don't feel like it after all, we could always go somewhere else."

"Okay."

When Albus came back to the dormitories, he sat down next to Scorpius on his bed.

"Your conversation with Ellie took a long time," Scorpius said.

"Yeah, sorry."

"It's fine," Scorpius said, "Good night."

"Night."

Albus changed into his pyjamas and went to bed. He faced Scorpius' back. He lay there watching Scorpius for a long time before sleep took him.

That Saturday, Scorpius had decided to leave the Great Hall early so he and Rose could be first in the line. Albus and Ellie waved when he left.

"Good luck," Albus said, half-heartedly.

Scorpius waved back, and smiled.

Albus couldn't get rid of the pit in his stomach. He didn't want Scorpius to think that he and Ellie didn't trust him. Ellie had said it would be fine. That Scorpius would just think it was a coincidence. No one would think it was suspicious that they went to the Three Broomsticks. But Albus was still nervous about it. He couldn't stop thinking about all the things that could go wrong. He-

"Hey, Albus? You alright?"

Ellie's voice shook him out of his thoughts.

"Wha- uh, yeah. I-I'm fine."

Ellie scrunched her eyebrows.

"You know, we don't have to do this if you don't want to," she said.

"I-I-It's fine. Really. I'm just a bit nervous," he said, offering a smile.

She let out a sigh.

"Fine. But if you change your mind, let me know, okay?"

"Yeah"

"Okay. I'll meet you outside in an hour?"

"Yeah"

Albus sat by the table for a while longer. He wasn't really hungry anymore. After a while, he headed to the common room to get his coat.

Since Rose and Scorpius were far ahead of them, they walked straight to the Three Broomsticks. The pub was filled with Hogwarts students. Luckily, there was a free table with Scorpius and Rose in their line of sight.

Ellie ordered butterbeers for them. Albus glanced at Scorpius. They didn't seem to have noticed him and Ellie yet. The thought that they might be too absorbed in each other's company to notice, made the pit in his stomach grow. It climbed to his throat, making his breath a bit heavier. He crumpled his coat in his hands. He swallowed hard. His eyes were burning. _I don't like this feeling. I don't understand. I should be happy for him, but this feeling just won't stop. What is wrong with me? Why can't I just be happy for him? I can't-_

Ellie tapped his shoulder. She looked at him from underneath her scrunched and worried eyebrows.

"Do you want to go?" she asked, carefully.

Albus opened his mouth to answer, but closed it again. He looked back at Rose and Scorpius. They were laughing about something. Something he had missed. Something he and Scorpius didn't share. He closed his eyes, swallowed, and nodded.

Ellie left some galleons on their table, and dragged Albus out of there.

"Let's go to Honeyduke's," she stated.

Albus followed Ellie around for a while. The pit in his stomach didn't go away, though.

When they came back, Ellie dragged him all the way to the Room of Requirement. It looked almost the same as it had on Thursday, but it had bookshelves. He sat down in one of the chairs. The pit was still there. His eyes were burning again, and they wouldn't stop. The tears started falling. He puled his knees to his chest and cried, and cried, and cried.

At some point, Ellie had wrapped her arms around him. She held him till the crying stopped.

"I don't understand," he whispered into Ellies chest, "Why do I feel like this?"

He could hear Ellie draw her breath. For the first time since they had met, she seemed hesitant to say what she wanted. Her arms tightened around him.

"Have you ever thought…"

Breath.

"…that your feelings might be a bit more than friendship?" she said so quietly he could barely hear her.

Ellie still embraced him, but her limbs were tense. Waiting.

 _More than friendship?_ Albus thought.

"I've seen the way you look at him. Like he put the stars in the sky. And when he smiles at you, your eyes light up," Ellie continues, "There is nothing wrong with you feeling that way. You know that, right?"

"Just think about it, okay? I'm not inside your head, I can't tell you how you feel."

Albus nods.

When Albus went to bed that night, he couldn't get Ellie's word out of his head. _More than friend. Like he put the stars in the sky._

Could he really like Scorpius that way? _There is nothing wrong with you…_

Albus thought back on all the times he had felt jealous around Scorpius. _Delphi. Rose._

 _Oh._ Albus curled his arms around himself. _I do. I do like him._


	5. Chapter 5

**Hufflepuffs and Roses chapter 5: Rose and Scorpius**

 **Ellie's POV**

Ellie was worried about Albus. She hoped she hadn't pushed things too far the night before. She hadn't talked to him at breakfast. She wanted to give him time to think about what she said.

Maybe she shouldn't have told him. She'd barely known him for a month. Maybe he didn't want to believe it because his parents weren't accepting like that? What if she offended him in some way? What if he never spoke to her again? What if-

 _No! Stop it! Of course he won't! Just focus on your homework!_

She looked down at her Ancient Runes assignment. She hadn't really made any progress in the last few hours. She'd been too worried about what Albus thought about her to concentrate.

 _Maybe I should talk to him, apologize about being so upfront._

Ellie rose from her chair and packed up her books and parchment. She started walking towards the common room exit.

"Ellie?" the other Hufflepuff prefect, Robin, said.

Ellie stopped and turned towards him.

"Yeah?"

"You know it's not lunch yet, right?"

"Oh. Yeah. I just need some air. No need to worry about me, Robin."

"Okay," he said.

Ellie exited the common rom and decided to roam the castle for a bit to calm herself down.

After re-entering the castle after walking by the lake, she headed for the library. She thought she might as well try to find some extra material for her homework. She went to the transfiguration section and found a couple of books on animagi. She sat down by one of the tables between the shelves and began to read.

Ellie felt someone tap her shoulder. She looked up to see Scorpius.

"Mind if I sit?" he said, smiling.

"No"

Scorpius sat down next to her. He crossed his arms and leaned on the table.

"So…," he started, "I saw you and Albus at the Three Broomsticks yesterday…"

Ellie drew in a sharp breath.

"Y-yeah?"

"Yeah… You seemed to get out of there in a rush, though. Did something happen?"

"N-no. nothing happened. We just… needed a bit of fresh air… And it was pretty crowded in there, so… You know…" Ellie replied.

"Oh."

Scorpius seemed to fold into himself a bit, and Ellie thought she could hear him swallowing. He looked down at the table and closed his fists around his robes.

"It's just… Albus has kind of been ignoring me?" he said.

Ellie leaned forward and tilted her head.

"Ignoring you?"

"Yeah. He won't talk to me, so I thought maybe something had happened?" he said, clearly trying to avoid looking at Ellie.

"Oh. W-well I was planning to talk to Albus anyways, so I can ask him?"

"Yeah. Thanks."

Ellie let out a breath of relief.

"No problem. Anyways, how did your date go?"

"It went great! We talked about so many things…!"

After talking for a while, Ellie and Scorpius went to lunch. Albus was already there. He seemed stuck in his own head, and Ellie had to tap his shoulder three times to get his attention. Albus jumped in his seat and turned towards her.

"Oh! Ellie. Hi"

He looked down at once when he saw Scorpius.

"…Um…Hi," Albus mumbled.

"Um, Albus? I was hoping we could talk after lunch? About yesterday?"

Albus looked up at her with a surprised look at his face.

"Y-yeah. I was thinking about talking to you too."

They ate in silence. Ellie sat in-between Albus and Scorpius. She felt bad about making things awkward between them, and she needed to apologize to Albus as soon as possible.

After lunch Ellie walked towards the lake. About halfway to the lake Ellie stopped.

"So…. Um…. Albus I- "she started, wringing her hands together.

"Ellie, you were right." Albus said before Ellie had the chance to finish.

"What?"

"You were right. I _do_ like Scorpius as more than a friend," Albus said.

Ellie was shocked, she had never expected Albus to admit he liked Scorpius. She had just blurted it out and regretted it afterwards.

"I… What do I do now? Do I tell him? I can't just pretend nothing happened, right?!"

Ellie crouched, reaching down to play with the grass.

"I don't know. I think you should talk to him though," Ellie said.

"Yeah?" he said, sitting down beside her.

"He's worried about you. He said you'd been ignoring him."

"What?! I haven't been ignoring him," Albus said, "…at least I didn't mean to…"

"Just talk to him, okay?"

Albus rose.

"Okay. See you later!" he said, and left.

Ellie didn't really feel like going back to the dorm room yet, so she decided to write a letter to her parents.

After finishing the letter, she went up to the owlery.

"Erial!" she called out to her owl.

A dark brown barn owl flew down to land on her arm. She carefully tied the letter to Erial's leg. She hadn't really had the chance to see him this year, so she gave him a treat before sending him off.

For the next couple of months Rose and Scorpius went on more dates. Ellie and Albus tended to avoid them when they were together. Ellie got an answer to the letter she sent to her parents. They said they couldn't find a return ticket that was before the 29th of December, so she was going to be alone for Christmas that year. Maybe she could invite Albus and Scorpius over.

It was early in December when Albus' attempts at avoiding Rose failed. She came up to Ellie and him in the library.

"Albus. I need to talk to you," she said.

"Uh…"

Albus looked at Ellie, hesitantly.

"It's OK. Just go," Ellie said.

Albus rose from his chair and followed Rose as she left the library.

Albus came back rather quickly. He sighed as he sat down.

"So," Ellie started, "What did she want?"

"She wanted me to ask my parents if Scorpius could spend some of Christmas with us. She ‛doesn't want them to know yet', she said."

"Oh"

"I guess I'll write them."

"You sure? I mean, isn't that going to be uncomfortable?"

"I just don't want any of them to… you know…"

Ellie sighed.

"I'll see you later," he said.

"Yeah," she answered, and went back to her homework.

They sat together on the train back to London. All four of them. Scorpius and Rose were talking in one corner, and Albus sat by the compartment door. Ellie had sat down by the window with a book, letting Erial nip at her finger while she read.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hufflepuffs and Roses chapter 6: Christmas part 1**

 **Albus' POV**

Albus' parents had said that Scorpius could come over during the holidays. He would arrive on Christmas morning with his father, and he would stay the night. For the first time ever, Albus was conflicted about having Scorpius over. He couldn't avoid Rose here.

When Scorpius arrived, Albus greeted him as usual so his family wouldn't be suspicious. They sat down around the tree with the others. Albus' parents and his aunt and uncle started handing out gifts to each of the children. James got a book about quidditch team around the world, and a new Gryffindor themed sweater. Lilly's sweater had flowers on it. Before Albus had a chance to start opening his presents, Molly walked up to Scorpius.

"I just finished this last night. Sorry if it looks a bit rushed, but I didn't want you to be the only one who didn't get one," she said, and handed Scorpius a package.

"Thank you," Scorpius said.

Scorpius carefully wrapped out a dark green sweater with a scorpion on it. Hit face lit up, and Albus filled up with butterflies. He quickly looked down at his own presents. He decided to open the one from his parents first. It was a leather-bound journal closed with string. The present from his grandparents was a sweater as usual, and from his aunt and uncle, he got a quill.

After thanking for his presents, he went up to his room to help Scorpius get settled. When he opened the journal later, two coupons and a note fell out.

 _Albus._

 _We hope you like your presents. We saw the journal at Flourish and Blotts, and thought you might like it. What you write in this journal will only be visible to you. If you run out of pages, you can get more added with the coupon. The quill is charmed so that it will never run out of ink. At least until the spell wears of. If you need to renew the spell, you can do that at Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop._

 _Mom and Dad._

Albus showed the note to Scorpius.

"Wow. That's a really nice present, Albus," he said, sitting down on the bed next to Albus.

Albus filled with butterflies again. He looked down at the pages of the journal.

"Yeah," he said.

Albus took out Scorpius' present from his night stand.

"Here," he said, and handed the present to Scorpius.

Scorpius was careful not to rip the paper when he unwrapped the present. His hands looked fragile somehow, Albus thought. He was taken by a sudden urge to reach out and touch Scorpius. Imagining what it would feel like to hold his hand.

"It's a muggle book. I thought you'd like it," he told Scorpius when the book was wrapped out.

"Wow! Thank you Albus!" Scorpius said.

Scorpius gave Albus a hug. Albus' nose was filled with the smell of Scorpius' hair. Scorpius' jaw gnawed at his shoulder, but Albus didn't say anything. He didn't want to let go.

There was a knock on the door. Scorpius quickly let go of Albus.

"Yeah?" Albus said.

"We're having lunch with Mr. Malfoy before he leaves. Ginny wants you to come down."

It was Rose.

"We'll be down in a minute!"

"Okay."

Albus looked at Scorpius, nervously. He was already looking through the book. He seemed so exited about it. Albus looked at his feet, then at Scorpius again, and smiled. He didn't want to interrupt Scorpius, but he knew his mom would come upstairs to look for them soon. He tapped Scorpius' shoulder.

"Hey. We shouldn't be late. You can look at it later."

Scorpius looked up. He sighed.

"Yeah…"

Albus laughed, leaning a bit away from him.

"Hey! It's not funny!" Scorpius said, and grabbed Albus' arm lightly.

He was smiling.

"Yeah, yeah," Albus said, "Let's go."

They ate lunch, and Mr. Malfoy left. Albus and Scorpius went back up to their room, and kept busy with their presents until dinner. After dinner Albus' grandparents left. They went back upstairs.

"Do you like it?" Albus asked.

"Yeah!" Scorpius said, "It's really good so far."

"Oh! Albus! Your present!" Scorpius exclaimed, "Sorry! I was so caught up in the book!"

Albus laughed.

"Don't worry, it's fine."

Scorpius rummaged through his bag, and found the present. Gently putting all of his things back before handing Albus the present.

"Here," Scorpius said.

Albus took the present. It was wrapped in simple, silver paper. Under the wrapping was a box. Albus carefully opened the box. It had a watercolour set, a few brushes, and some water-resistant colour pencils in it.

"I see you drawing in your notes all the time, and I thought you'd like to have some different supplies to play around with," Scorpius said.

"Thanks," Albus said, and gave Scorpius a short hug.

Before they went to bed, Rose knocked on the door. Albus let her in. he thought she wanted to talk to Scorpius alone, so he started to leave. Rose grabbed his arm.

"Don't. I need you to be in on this too," she said.

Albus sighed and returned to his bed. Scorpius joined him.

"So, I thought we could go somewhere tomorrow, Scorpius. And I need Albus to come along for at least a while, so my parents won't be suspicious."

Scorpius nodded beside him.

"I'll see you tomorrow, then. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

Albus helped Scorpius put the extra mattress on the floor next to his bed.

"Is it alright if we have the lights on? I want to read a little more," Scorpius said.

"Yeah. Could you look at this first, though?"

He handed Scorpius the journal from his parents. He hadn't written anything yet, just doodled.

"Wow. I really can't see anything," Scorpius said, handing it back.

Albus smiled.

"Night, Scorpius."

"Goodnight."

The next day they went outside, telling their parents they were going to show Scorpius around. They sat down by the fountain in the middle of a square. Albus remained standing. He didn't want to stay with them when they were together like this.

"I want to check something out, so…We could meet back here in an hour?" he said.

He wanted to see if he could find some paper that would hold his new watercolours.

"Okay. See you," Rose said.

He could see she was grateful he was leaving them alone. He clenched his fists in his pockets.

"See you."

Albus walked through the frozen streets. It was surprisingly cold. He stopped on a corner a few streets north of the square, and entered the art supply shop. The shelves were filled with different kinds of watercolour paper. He used some time looking at all of them before deciding on a huge block of smooth paper. _That way I'll have enough for a while._ He also ended up getting some fine-liners in various colours.

He took his time walking back to the square. He was about to head towards the fountain when he saw it. They were sitting there. Together. Holding hands, their eyes closed. Lips touching.

Albus turned quickly, clenching the handle of his shopping bag, almost tearing it apart. He felt the tears heating his eyes. He blinked them away, and shook his head. _You can think about this later when Scorpius has left._

He walked back towards the fountain. This time Scorpius noticed him. Scorpius' cheeks were red. Albus waved at them.

They sat by the fountain for a while. Rose and Scorpius had gotten them some food while looking around. Freshly fried donuts and warm cocoa. While they were eating, Albus' father came to tell them Mr. Malfoy was there to take Scorpius home.

After Scorpius had left, Albus decided to try out his watercolours. He started out just watering and mixing, seeing what kind of colours he could get. Eventually he began sketching out a tree to colour in. Before he could begin painting, however, his mum knocked on his door.

"Dinner is ready Al," she said.

"Yeah. I'll be down soon."

As he turned to set his brush aside, he saw a barn owl outside his window. It was carrying a letter. He opened the window, and let the owl in. It stretched it's leg out. He carefully untied the piece of parchment. It was from Ellie.

 _Hi Albus._

 _I was wondering if you'd like to come and visit me on the 28_ _th_ _? You don't have to answer right now, but I would like to know by tomorrow. You can just send Erial back if you don't have an immediate answer._

 _Ellie._

 _PS: The address is on the other piece of parchment._

Albus took the letter down to his parents, and asked if it was alright. They said he could go. After dinner he quickly wrote a response, and then continued working on his tree.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter seven: Christmas part 2**

 **Ellie's POV**

Ellie was running around the house, trying to make everything look tidy. Albus and Scorpius would be arriving in half an hour. She had started tidying the day before, but she hadn't gotten as far as she wanted. She wasn't good at keeping it tidy, so the house had gotten really messy during the last week. She'd started by putting books back in shelves or in neat piles, then her clothes and towels or other things. It took a while, but she was able to finish a few minutes before the doorbell rang.

When she opened the door, both Albus and Scorpius were there. She hadn't expected them to come together, considering how tense things had been between them lately. Scorpius smiled at her.

"Hi. Come in," Ellie said.

Albus and Scorpius entered, and started hanging up their coats.

"Um, my dad is picking me up around seven," Scorpius said.

"Ok."

"I was thinking we could make some food together, and maybe watch a movie or something afterwards?"

"Yeah. That sounds nice," Scorpius said.

"What are we going to make?" Albus asked.

They entered the kitchen and sat down by the table.

"Since we have a lot of time, I think we can make some snacks as well, not just dinner."

"What kind of snacks?" Albus asked.

"Maybe some cookies filled with something? Kind of like Oreos?"

"Ok. Let's start, then," Albus said.

They finished with the cookies and dinner around three. They carried the food into the living room, and set the table. When she was done setting down the food, Ellie saw Scorpius looking over the bookshelves.

"Scorpius?"

She tapped his shoulder gently. He turned and looked at her, a surprised look on his face.

"Oh," he said, "I was just thinking that there are so many of these I haven't read. And I was a little curious."

Ellie smiled at him.

"We can talk about them a little before you go if you want?"

"Sure. Thanks!" he said, smiling.

They sat down on the couch. Albus seemed like he wanted to avoid sitting next to Scorpius, so Ellie made sure to sit between them. _Did something happen?_

While they sat the table, Albus had looked through the DVDs underneath the TV.

"I narrowed it down to two," he said.

The ones he had picked out was _"Liz and the Bluebird"_ and _"Arrival"_.

"Which one do you want to watch?"

"Hmmmm… I would prefer to watch _Liz and the Bluebird_ , but I'm fine with either. What about you Scorpius?" Ellie said.

"I don't know. I haven't really watched any movies before. I'm really fine with either."

"I'd really like to watch _Liz and the Bluebird_ , since I've seen _Arrival_ before," Albus said.

"Well, _Liz and the Bluebird_ it is!" Ellie said.

Ellie started the movie, and sat back down.

Albus and Scorpius were so absorbed in the movie, they didn't end up eating that much. When the movie was over, Ellie and Scorpius talked about the books, as she had promised, and he ended up borrowing some.

After Scorpius had left, Ellie sat back down with Albus. They sat there in silence for a while.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"Hm?"

Albus looked up at her. Ellie looked at her feet. She tucked her hands behind her back, pressed against the couch. She leaned forward, looking at Albus over her shoulder.

"I saw you trying to avoid sitting next to Scorpius," she said.

"Oh."

"Did something happen?"

"It's nothing really."

Ellie turned back toward the TV, and let her hands down.

"Ok."

They sat on the couch, not saying anything. _That's a lie._

 _I can't push him, but I need to give him the opportunity._

"If you want to- "

"Rose and Scorpius kissed," Albus burst out.

"Oh."

Ellie made to reach out her hand, but stopped.

"I don't- " Albus started, "I'm not- "

"It's okay. You don't have to."

Ellie tangled her fingers. _Although, I'd really like you to._

"I should go. It's getting late."

Albus stood up and Ellie quickly followed.

"Yeah. Your parents must be worried."

They walked out into the hallway. Ellie handed Albus his coat.

"Will you be okay alone?" she asked, lifting her head.

Albus smiled at her.

"I don't live too far from here, so it's fine."

"Ok."

Albus left, and closed the door behind him.

Ellie stood there, looking after him.

 _Will he_ really _be okay?_

Sorry this chapter is so late. A lot of things happened these last few weeks. I'll try to get chapter 8 up on the 27th, but I have a big school assignment on the 23rd, so it might be a little late.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: Break up**

 **Scorpius' POV**

The kiss didn't feel right. Actually, he didn't feel anything but surprise when it happened. No electricity. No tingling. Nothing. _What is wrong with me? Why didn't I- Why can't I-! Do I_ not _like her? I_ do, _right?_

 _Right?!_

Rose had kissed him. He panicked and responded for a moment, but then she stopped. He hadn't responded because he wanted to kiss her. He kissed back because he thought he was _supposed_ to.

She didn't say anything after.

Then Albus came back. _Did he see it? Is that why he avoided me yesterday? Is he angry with me?_ He and Rose had been dating for a while, and Albus hadn't seemed opposed to it lately, so it was fine. Right?

"Scorpius?"

Scorpius was drawn out of his thoughts by his father's voice.

"Hm? Yeah?"

"Are you alright?" his father asked, "You haven't been eating."

"It's nothing. I'm just not really hungry. Is it okay if I leave the table?" Scorpius replies, trying to avoid his father's eyes.

"Sure…"

"If there's anything you want to talk about…"

"Yeah. Thanks dad. But, really. It's nothing."

Scorpius rose from the table, and walked through the mansion to his room. He entered his room, and grabbed a book from his desk as he passed. He sat down in the chair by his window, wrapping himself in a blanket. It was one of the books he had borrowed from Ellie. He had wondered if muggles ever wrote about magic, and she had given him some "fantasy" books. He hadn't started reading any of them yet, but he was looking forward to doing so now. He brought his knees up to his chest and rested the book on them.

Inside the book was a map. Scorpius studied the map thoroughly before flipping the page.

 _Knock, knock._ Scorpius was called back to his room by his father's knocking on his door.

"May I come in?" he asked.

"Yeah."

His father opened the door. He walked over to Scorpius' bed and sat down. He looked over at Scorpius.

"Is there really nothing bothering you?" he asked.

Scorpius put down his book and wrapped his arms around his legs, keeping his eyes on the floor.

He could hear his father sigh quietly.

"I know we aren't that close. And we haven't really talked like this before, but," he started, "I'm worried about you, Scorpius."

"I know. I just… don't know where to start."

"How about starting from the beginning?"

Scorpius looked at his father. He was smiling, even if just slightly, encouraging him. Scorpius felt his mouth twitching a little, and looked back down.

"Well…" he said, "Albus has been ign- Well. Not exactly ignoring me, but he's been more distant than usual. I think it maybe has something to do with me hanging out with Rose a lot?"

"Hmm…Have you talked to Albus about this?"

"I haven't had the chance."

Scorpius sighed.

"And, you've been hanging out with Rose?"

Scorpius slid his feet down on the floor, and started leaning on the armrest.

"Yeah. That's the other thing."

"The other thing?"

"Yeah. But I think I need to sort that out for myself first." He said.

"Alright."

His father stood up, and started walking towards the door.

"Um. Dad?"

His father stopped and looked back.

"Thanks."

His father smiled and exited the room.

"Good night, Scorpius."

"Night."

Scorpius changed his clothes and went to bed.

He couldn't sleep. He couldn't stop thinking about everything. What was wrong about the kiss? Shouldn't he have been exploded with joy? Hadn't he liked Rose since first year? Did this mean he didn't like her after all? Maybe he should have asked his dad for help. Maybe his dad had some advice. _But what if he thinks I'm weird?_

Scorpius spent the rest of the night tossing and turning, trying to gather courage to talk to his dad; until, finally, exhaustion took him.

The next day, Scorpius woke up around noon. His eyelids felt heavy, and he couldn't really bring himself to sit up. He heard a careful knock on his door.

"Are you awake, Scorpius?" his father said through the door, slowly opening it.

"Hmm? Yeah," he said, letting out a yawn.

His father entered the room, and sat down in the foot end on his bed.

"Do you want to eat up here? Or would you come downstairs and eat?" his father said, a careful smile on his face.

Scorpius pushed himself up to a sitting position. He reached to rub the back of his neck. He was still a bit out of it.

"I'll come downstairs. Just give me a minute."

"Alright."

His father left the room, and Scorpius dragged himself out of bed.

By the time he entered the dining room, Scorpius had decided to ask his father for advice. He sat down on his father's right side. His father was reading the Daily Prophet, so Scorpius decided not to disturb him to much. He mumbled out a _Good morning_ before starting to eat.

After he had finished, he waited for his father to put down the paper.

"Um… dad?" he started.

His father looked up from the paper.

"Can I ask you about something?"

His father nodded, and put the folded paper down on the table.

"Um… Let's say that I... have been hanging out with someone for a while now," Scorpius started, "And they did something, but I'm not sure if I'm comfortable with it. Or even if I like it. What if, when I think about it, I don't feel anything? What should I do?"

His father was quiet for a minute. Scorpius was starting to get embarrassed and antsy. _Maybe I shouldn't have told him after all._

"Do you feel threatened by what this person did?" his father suddenly asked.

"N-no I don't," Scorpius said, "I just don't know how I should feel about it?"

"How _do_ you feel about it?"

"What?"

"How do you feel about it? It doesn't matter how you _should_ feel. How _do_ you feel?"

"I don't know?! Nothing?! What do I do?!"

Scorpius leans forward and put his head in his hands.

They sat in silence for a while. Scorpius kept wringing his hands. He hadn't meant to speak to loudly.

"Do you think it would be alright to talk to them about it?" his father finally said, "Maybe you can sort this out together?"

"I don't know," Scorpius said, quietly.

"Maybe just try to bring it up?"

"Yeah. Maybe."

Scorpius reached up to scratch his neck.

"I've got some homework to catch up on, so I'll just…"

"Alright. I'll tall you when dinner is ready."

"Thanks."

Scorpius went up to his room to start on his homework. He decided to write to Rose to see if they could meet up. He would try to talk to her about it.

They met up in Diagon Alley the next day. The snow fell heavily around them. The cobblestone street was slippery, and they had a bit of trouble walking around.

They entered a sweets shop on the corner. There weren't many people, as it was the day before New Year's. They sat down at a table, and ordered some warm chocolate.

"Um…" Scorpius started, "I think we should talk about what happened at Christmas."

"Oh."

Rose quickly looked down. She smiled, awkwardly.

"Sorry. Did you not like it? I just thought, since we've been going out…"

"N-no! I-I just don't know. I'm a bit confused about it. About everything, really."

"Do you want to try it again? Or…?"

Scorpius looked away. It was suddenly clear that he didn't want to kiss Rose. At all. Ever.

"No," he said, "It's not like I hated it or anything. But I guess I didn't exactly enjoy it either…"

"Oh."

"Sorry. I just need some time to think."

Rose had kept her eyes at her mug all this time, but now she finally looked up. She still didn't meet his eyes.

"Yeah. Me too, actually."

"Hm?"

Rose looked down again. This time at her hands, which she had untangled for the mug. She kept squeezing her fingers, and her gaze wouldn't stop moving as she spoke.

"I just thought," she started, "that you would be mad or upset if I told you the kiss didn't sit right with me. But… now that I know you feel the same, I'm kind of relieved."

She looked up and smiled at him.

After they finished their warm chocolate, they went their separate ways. They had agreed to stay just friends for now.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: The first day**

 **Albus' POV**

Albus hadn't spoken to either Ellie or Scorpius since that night. He didn't know what to say to either of them. He wanted to talk to Ellie about what happened, but he didn't know if he could do that _now_. He had made things awkward, and he didn't know if she would talk to him.

He had spent most of his time alone trying out his watercolours. He was starting to get the hang of how much water to use, and which colours went well together. He had found painting strangely calming, especially during New Year's. His grandmother wouldn't stop asking about Scorpius.

He would have to see them again tomorrow. He hoped things would be less awkward between them. He wondered if Rose would take up all of Scorpius' time this semester too. He wanted to spend time with Scorpius even if seeing him with Rose hurt. Albus would surely get over these feeling eventually. _Right?_

Albus boarded the train. He dragged his trunk into an empty compartment. Scorpius and Ellie wouldn't be there for a while, so he decided to take out his journal. It worked just like it was supposed to, and actually helped him sort out his feelings.

About an hour into the train ride, the compartment door slid open. It was Scorpius.

Albus immediately closed his journal. He quickly put it back into his bag, looking up at Scorpius.

"Hi," Albus said.

He hadn't really expected Scorpius to come here, since he had spent so much time with Rose.

"Hi. Ellie's just catching up with some friends," Scorpius said as he closed the door.

"Oh."

Albus stayed silent as Scorpius put his trunk on the rack and sat down.

"What about Rose?"

Scorpius looked down.

"Um," Scorpius started, "She's spending time with friends…"

"Oh."

They sat in silence, waiting for Ellie. Albus resorted to looking out the window. The countryside scenery flew by. The slow shaking of the train was making his eyes heavy. He leant against the window, and let his eyes close.

"…Oh. Are you okay?"

"Yeah. It was mutual, so…"

Albus opened his eyes, slowly trying to sit up from his position. He rubbed at his eyelids.

"Oh Albus! Sorry, I moved you a little, so you wouldn't fall," he could hear Ellie say.

"Oh," he said, "Thanks."

He slowly sat up, trying to shake the sleepiness out of his head. He squinted at Ellie.

"How long did I sleep?" he mumbled.

"Well, we should be at the station in about an hour."

"Oh."

Albus rose from his seat.

"I'm going to change."

"Okay," Ellie said.

She quickly turned back to Scorpius once Albus had closed the door.

Albus spent the rest of the train ride and the trip up to the castle in silence. He didn't say much during dinner either.

After dinner, Ellie stopped him on his way out of the great hall.

"Albus!"

He turned around to face her.

"Could I talk to you for a bit?"

They had sneaked away to a corner in the corridor, huddled together on the floor.

"How are you doing?" Ellie whispered, "We haven't talked in a while. I thought something might be wrong."

Albus fiddled with the sleeve of his robes.

"I've just been busy," he said, "and I made things awkward, so I wasn't sure if it was okay."

"Of course it's okay!"

Albus leaned against her a little.

"It's just… I can't stop thinking about what happened."

"Yeah?"

"I mean, are they really going to be together now? Will I ever be able to be happy for him? You talked with Scorpius on the train, right? Did he say anything about what happened?"

He looked at Ellie. She seemed troubled.

"What's wrong?"

He sat up, turning against her. Ellie sighed, and ran her hand through her hair.

"He did say something…"

Albus opened his mouth to ask.

"But… he said he wanted to tell you himself."

"Oh."

Ellie put a hand on his back.

"He'll probably tell you tonight anyways. Don't worry about it."

"Okay. See you tomorrow."

"Yeah."

When Albus arrived at the dorms, Scorpius was waiting for him. The others were down in the common room, so it was just them.

"Hi," Albus said.

"Hi," Scorpius started, "can I talk to you?"

"Yeah, sure."

Albus sat down on his bed, facing Scorpius. He tried to avoid looking at Scorpius' face, so he stared at the floor instead.

"What did you want to talk about?"

"Um. I don't know if Rose told you, but something happened while I was at your place."

"Yeah?"

"A-and I wanted to tell you about it, cause you're my friend, of course, but also because Rose is your cousin and I don't want you to be angry with me."

"Why would I be angry with you?"

Albus looked up at Scorpius. He seemed a bit nervous, twiddling his fingers.

"We kissed. I mean, she kissed me. And then we broke up. And she said it was fine, but what if she really didn't feel that way and told you about it."

They broke up?

"Why?"

Scorpius looked up from his hands.

"What?"

"Why did you break up?" Albus started, "I thought you liked her?"

"I thought I did, but I'm not sure. I didn't really feel the way I expected to about the kiss, and now I'm just confused."

"Oh. Well I'm not angry with you. Rose doesn't lie about those kinds of things."

Scorpius seemed relieved. He looked up and smiled, causing a jump in Albus' stomach. He smiled back.

"Goodnight, Albus."

"Night."

Albus tried not to think about it. He didn't want to get his hopes up. And either way, Scorpius might not even like boys. And even if he did, it didn't mean that he had any interest in Albus. If they did end up together, how would they tell their parents? Should they? Should Albus tell them either way?


End file.
